Have things gotten so bad that even to dare ask a question about something has now become a social crime?

I ask this because I did ask a question recently and apparently I shouldn’t have.

I was watching a YouTube video and I wondered about the item they were using as I’ve heard various claims about how safe it is to use. I won’t name the channel or the item but I was genuinely interested as the person using the item in the video seems to be an expert in their field.

However, one of their loyal followers came back at me, like an aggressive pit bull, telling me the science is settled on this topic and I really should know better as their deity has already put out a video debunking the ‘rumours’.

I’ve heard this phrase a lot over the past few years: “The science is settled”, and it doesn’t sit comfortably with me.

When I was a child, we were encouraged to ask questions about the world. Science was seen as exciting because it was never settled, and everyone was encouraged to take an interest and get involved. Theories were just that – theories. Meant to be questioned, probed and tested. Alternative theories were welcomed as they led to healthy debate, through which, more ideas and answers could be found.

It seems that’s all gone.

I don’t care what anyone thinks, nor am I trying to tell you what I think about climate change, covid, the ‘Fauci ouchie’, the assassination of JFK, geo-politics meddling, fossil fuels, fluoride, rigged elections, or any other topic. What I do care about, is our ability to ask questions about all of these topics and more.

With the advancement of AI, it would seem now more than ever, we should be asking more and more questions. We should be helping each other to find out as much as we can – while we can. Sadly, it seems there are too many who are too keen to have us all silenced.

These are the same people who seem perfectly happy to have a machine do their thinking for them.

And on that note, how many of you can actually remember a telephone number without using your mobile phone?